FILTER Magazine #56

By Brooks Hays on April 11, 2011

Dead Reckoning meshes comfortably with the B&Bs’ reputation for energy-sparked, straight-laced Americana—lyrics are belted by Ryan Sollee with a Jonathan Edwards–like fervor (by way of Colin Meloy). Yet the pacing, paranoid angst that seeps through only feigns a progressive edge. It’s clear the gospel influences are not ones of rejoiceful uplift. Instead, the religiosity that infuses the music recalls the forced eagerness of modern day evangelicals and the predictable plainness of suburban mega-churches. Only dedicated fans need ascend.